Candida's Relationship with Heavy Metals: Facts and Solutions

Hello, I am Julie Donaldson and I am a clinical nutritionist with functional medicine training. I specialize in restoring balance in complex, chronic and acute health conditions. I welcome you to peruse other articles that may be of interest to you in your health investigation!

“Julie’s intuitive and expansive knowledge of the body, mind, and spirit has led me to a place of continued healing and exploration. She knows the complexities of healing and will get to the root of disease and discomfort. My experiences have been met with compassion and understanding which has deepened my trust in Julie and the healing process. If you have the opportunity to work with Julie, she will lead you home to yourself. She is a conduit, a witness, a guide- I am forever grateful to her and her wisdom.”

- Gretchen, Utah

From widespread antibiotic abuse to excess sugar and refined carbohydrates in our diets, to over-cooked/low nutrient foods, and to the invasive presence of heavy metals in our environment, candida overgrowth has become a common disturbance in our health. Many attempts to control it fail, and there are good reasons why. I'll explore these with you here, and talk about what to do. In order to eradicate overabundance of candida, an individualized holistic health approach is needed. Otherwise, it is a vicious, repetitive infection that impairs gut health and may cause brain fog along with poor neurotransmitter function. Its symbiotic relationship with heavy metals is particularly tricky. Personalized nutrition is needed, as are proper therapeutic protocols that include detox support, endotoxin binding and microbiome balancing.

Candida infections are also critically misunderstood in mainstream medicine, often labeled as a condition that doesn’t really exist and/or an expression of hypochondriac or "psychological" behavior. Anyone who has suffered with candida overgrowth, whether knowingly or not, understands that it is anything but. In addition to the gut and brain, it is a condition that can negatively impact muscles, menstrual cycles, and overall immune response. It is very, very real. Care is needed for every segment of the GI tract, beginning in the mouth. A healthy oral biome is key to a healthy gut.

Candida and Symptoms of Over-Abundance

Candida albicans occurs naturally in the body. It is commensal in nature, meaning that it can exist in the human organism without causing harm. If, however, candida propagates excessively, candidiasis results. Following are a number of the symptoms that typically occur with candidiasis:

Irritable bowel syndrome, a.k.a. IBS (diarrhea, constipation and alternating patterns)
stiff joints/muscles
itching/hives on skin, scalp and vagina
fatigue
poor sleep/insomnia
anxiety and depression
sinusitis

The Intimate Relationship Between Candida and Heavy Metals

Candida exists in a biofilm. A biofilm is a group of microorganisms with cells that stick to each other on a surface. This film is composed of extracellular DNA, proteins, and polysaccharides (formed by sugars and starches). Because they have three-dimensional structure and represent a community lifestyle for microorganisms, biofilms are frequently described metaphorically as "cities for microbes." Microbes form biofilms in response to nutritional cues, as well as from the exposure of planktonic cells to concentrations of antibiotics.

It has been tested and proven that candida thrives in heavy metal-polluted environments. Candida biofilms absorb metal cations from their surroundings and this sequestration in the biofilm contributes to treatment resistance and the ability to thrive.

Heavy metals are everywhere - in our food, air, water, body products, and in our teeth if we have amalgam fillings. Amalgam dental fillings are 49.5% mercury.

We must deliberately measure and detoxify heavy metals, or we are at risk for numerous conditions and diseases, as well as for increased mutagenesis (genetic mutations). Candidiasis may be a somewhat lesser problem than many others caused by heavy metal toxicity, but it is widespread and most certainly impacts some of our most necessary body functions - digestion and neurotransmission.

Why is My Candidiasis So Stubborn?

The internet offers numerous simple "solutions" to rid the body of candida, from diets to supplements to medications. Candida sufferers are advised to follow a strict diet of no sugar, starch, fruit, moldy or fermented foods for six weeks, and that this approach will take care of the problem. While a specific candida-type diet is recommended for eradication, this alone will not be enough. This only addresses the need to starve the pathogen - as we'll see below, there are several steps, not just this one.

Another approach that is frequently recommended is killing. Fluconazole and diflucan are the most commonly-used medications in traditional medicine for candidiasis. While medications can sometimes alleviate problems, they do not address the root causes, and can have deleterious effects upon the liver and digestive tract. Killing is also a necessary part of the process, but like starving, does not complete the process. Additionally, attempting to kill the pathogen without breaking down its biofilm and matrix will most often cause two things: first, there will be significant die-off experience, and second, there will be reinfection.

Candidiasis is a stubborn condition due to its complexity. The pathogen does not exist on its own without systemic imbalances in other areas of the body and without toxicity. All of these aspects need to be addressed to have final resolution.

Real Solutions

In order to properly resolve a candida infection, several things must be accomplished. First, a solid history of diet, lifestyle, and contributing factors needs to be taken. Proper personalized nutrition needs to be applied along with avoidance of candida-promoting foods. At True Nature, the practice of Metabolic Typing® is used to assess your nutrient requirements based upon how your body metabolizes food. This is absolutely key to recovery, as any stimulus to the body to heal requires energy. Energy is produced in the form of ATP through the final stage of the Krebs cycle, which is mitochondrial respiration. You may read more about this process here, in the section titled “Summations and solutions on supporting the neuroimmune loop”.

Next, the heavy metal matrix (biofilm) must be deconstructed while the pathogen itself is attacked, using natural approaches. During this phase, we also want to use steps to pick up endotoxins released by the fungus.

Third, your system will need to flush it out, and this happens with adequate lymphatic and excretory function.

Lastly, the receptor sites taken up by candida need to be replenished with proper stores of beneficial microbes. Each of us has our own unique microbiome which is associated with our own unique MT®. Optimizing our individuality in these areas is a critical step in the resolution of candida overgrowth.

Assess, Starve, Kill, Flush & Replace are my keys to YOUR success!

Please email me at Julie@truenaturehealthconsulting.com for more information and to initiate a healing program catered to your health status, designed by a qualified and experienced holistic health practitioner. We offer holistic telehealth services.

Sources

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofilm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=16466387